I first heard of Thirty-One a couple of years ago when my sister-in-law began selling it. I was young and hip (or so I thought) at the time and the products didn't fill a need in my life. I loved me some Vera Bradley and one thing you can say about this girl is that she's loyal - even to Vera Bradley. I wanted to support my sister-in-law so I'd go to a party here and there when there were free margaritas or friends involved. I started a small side business when my first son was born as a way to bring in some extra money. I did vinyl before vinyl was cool. Fast forward a couple of years and everybody and their mama has a machine that cuts vinyl and I needed something else. I did not think I would be successful at direct sales since I was a stay at home mother who rarely left the house. I had thought about joining Thirty-One before but I was waiting to order an enrollment kit that I just loved. In March of 2016 I fell in love with this enrollment kit:
I ordered this enrollment kit because I loved the prints and products in it and since I was a thrifty stay at home mother of three little ones at this time, my cool and hip VB's needed to be replaced with cute and functional. What better way to get $350 worth of products than to order the enrollment kit for $99? I had absolutely no plans to sell the products. I didn't believe I could. I didn't even know how to start. I didn't have friends that would shop with me. I didn't have confidence that I would be successful so I wasn't even planning to try. My enrollment kit arrived 3-4 days after I ordered it and I couldn't wait to put each product to use. We were in the middle of baseball season with two baseball boys and I carried these bags to the ball field for every practice and game. It didn't take long for other baseball mamas to start asking me for a catalog and begin placing orders. In Thirty-One there are no monthly requirements as far as sales go. To remain active you have to sell $200 every three months. I decided I would try to meet that $200 goal over the whole three months and if it worked out then great and if not, no big deal. In March, my very first month, my sales were $305. Goal met. The next month my sales were $2183 and the third month my sales were $2621.76. That three month trial period where I was hoping to sell $200 turned into a total sales of $5109.76. That means I was able to bring in $1,277.44 of extra income into our family budget. That was a big deal. During those first few months I was also able to take advantage of our StartSwell Program and I was able to add to my inventory by earning free products. Here are the three kits I was able to get for free:
I was helping contribute to our family budget. I was able to help pay down some of our medical bills that were quickly adding up after some medical issues of my own. I was able to pay extra on our car payment. I was able to say yes more when my kids asked to do something fun. I was earning rewards and free products just for doing well and I was getting my confidence back when I didn't even know it was missing. There's something that can be very lonely about being a stay at home mom if you allow yourself to withdraw from the world around you. It's easy to stay inside all winter and blame it on flu season and not wanting to get your little ones sick when you really know it's because you just don't have the energy to get out of your pajamas or talk to people. Being a Thirty-One consultant made me want to talk to people. I was able to go up to strangers and bond over a handbag or a fellow mama struggling like me and show her a way that her Aldi trip doesn't have to take FOREVER when the kids are ready to G-O.
I have been with Thirty-One since March of 2016 and my love for this company continues to grow. I want to share with you the Truth about Direct Sales as I have learned in my time with Thirty-One.
Truth #1
Direct Sales companies are not pyramid schemes. Plain and simple.
Truth #2
Direct Sales works if you do. Success does not come easy. You will not have people banging down your door begging to host a party for you. You have to work your business like it is a business. You have to reach out to people and actually ask them to host a party. You have to set yourself apart by coming up with new and fun ways to offer your products.
Truth #3
Your friends and family may not be able to financially support you. Your family may not be in the position where they can order from you. That's ok. Reach beyond your circle of family and friends and step out of your comfort zone to meet new people. This is do-able.
Truth #4
You can do it. You may think that you are not a salesperson and could never sell a product. Look over your Facebook profile and check out your posts. Chances are you are selling something. Maybe it's that Pumpkin Spice Latte from Starbucks that you casually post a picture of yourself sippin'. Maybe it's that pair of Mickey Mouse leggings you proudly show off. Everybody's selling something. You can just get paid for it.
Truth #5
Your children are watching. Your children are watching and absorbing the skills you are exemplifying when you are growing your business. You will teach them the values of hard work, determination, and charity. Involve your children in your business and let them be a part of your successes.
Truth #6
Find a product you love. I am passionate about Thirty-One products. Not only because they are well made, beautiful, trendy, and functional but because they are helping change the world. Through Thirty-One Gives we are able to give so many charities that are close to my heart like the Ronald McDonald House, Nationwide Children's Hospital, and Girl Talk, among others. Thirty-One has been able to donate $100 million in product and cash to support their mission. But bags, jewelry, and adorable home décor may not be your jam. Find your jam. Then rock on.
Truth #7:
Who you sign up under does matter. Your upline is so important when you are building your business. You want to make sure you sign up under someone who is willing and able to help you build your business and be successful. You will have a lot of questions when you are first getting started and you want to make sure you have a supportive sponsor who helps you in the ways you need.
Truth #8:
Direct Sales folks are annoying. Yep, I said it. And you're right. They tote-ally (see what I did there) are. Being bombarded by post after post on Facebook wanting you to buy this or buy that is super annoying. I admit to using the unfollow button myself a time or two. However, you don't have to be that way. I'm not sure of the rules for other DS companies but Thirty-One has a very strict "Tell It, Don't Sell It" Policy. Meaning: We like to show you our products in use and how they are working for us rather than pushing them down your throat. Nobody likes being harassed. Choose a company who has a policy that does not allow consultants to bully people into purchasing their products.
Truth #9
You work as much or as little as you want. Everyone's definition of success differs. For me, personally, I like to have at least 8-10 parties on my calendar per month. For other members of my team they are happy with two parties per month. Think about that. Most parties these days are online parties. You can use some pretty amazing websites (TinyTorch and CinchShare are my favorites) to schedule your posts so you are not tied to your phone during the parties. You get to schedule your parties around your schedule. In fact, I took off all of June to spend the first month of Summer with my little ones. Because I can.
Truth #10
You can make money. It is possible to make money in Direct Sales. Trust me, I know. Does it take work? Yes! Is it worth it? Absolutely! Thirty-One has allowed us to give back to our community, make donations, Go on a family trip over Spring Break, *Almost* Pay off my minivan (3 payments to go!), pay down debt on our debt-free journey, say YES more, pay for Christmas thanks to a $600 Visa Gift Card I earned, and so much more. It's possible. But you will have to work.
I am a very private person when it comes to finances. I do not say any of these things to brag or toot my own horn. The truth is I have a long way to go to be where I want to be and some months are better than others. I tell you these things so that you can see that if I can do it you can do it. Thirty-One has given me so much since March 2016 and I know that there is even more ahead for me in this journey. I am so thankful that I took the chance and said YES!
Maybe you are looking for your confidence, more income, the opportunity to say YES more to your family, free products, incentives, trips, or financial freedom. It all begins with a kit. This Fall/Winter Thirty-One is offering TWO different kit options. You get to choose which kit is your favorite. The products in this kit are valued at over $350 and you get them all for $99 PLUS the business supplies needed to ensure your success.
Sometimes $99 is a lot of money. I've been there. In the month of August you can sign up as a Thirty-One consultant for only $1 with our Kit-Free Enrollment. You do not get the Enrollment Kit but you do have the option to order it anytime later. You also are able to earn free products during your first 120 days as a consultant through our StartSwell Program. You can essentially build your own Enrollment Kit that way! For $1. One. Dollar.
I would love to answer any questions you have about Direct Sales Companies or Thirty-One! Maybe you have no plans to join a Direct Sales Company but I hope this article shows you how important it is to support your friends who choose to support their family in this way. Host a party for her, say yes, place an order. You may just help another mother who is struggling to find her way back to herself.
If you are ready to join Thirty-One, I'd love to talk to you to see if my team is the right fit for you. I am looking for hard-working ladies who are ready to work their business, make money, develop relationships, and earn free products! If that sounds like something you are interested in please message me on Facebook, Join my customer group, or join today here.